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Minke Whale

Common minke whales can be found in oceans all over the world, although they tend to prefer cooler waters. While they can weigh up to 10,000 kilograms (22,046 pounds), this doesn’t stop them from being incredibly acrobatic. These agile whales can still launch themselves completely out of the water like dolphins!  

 

Common minke whales are baleen whales, meaning that instead of teeth, their mouth is full of about 300 baleen plates — long, flat structures made of keratin — that are yellowish in color. Because of these creatures’ wide distribution, their diet varies depending on where they live. Southern populations feed mostly on krill, whereas more northern populations have more variety in their diets and will also consume squid and small fish. For many years, it was thought there was only one species of minke whale, but scientists now recognize two distinct species: common minke whales and Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis).  

Common minke whales have dark backs and sides, and white underbellies. They also have a white stripe across their flippers, and they have a dorsal fin. Although they can grow to be up to over 10 meters long (33 feet), common minke whales are the smallest of the baleen whale species.  

 

 

Common minke whales are categorized as a species of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Historically, minke whales have been hunted for hundreds of years for their meat, oil, and valuable baleen plates. However, minke whales were never explicitly targeted until other populations of whales were overhunted. Today, they face additional threats including becoming entangled in fishing gear and nets in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and in waters surrounding Alaska. 

 

 

Protecting minke whales requires an abundant ocean full of food for them to feed on, and limited disturbances from ocean noise, fishing entanglements, and habitat destruction.  Oceana campaigns to promote whale-safe fishing gear and responsible fishing practices to restore the oceans. Learn more about Oceana’s campaigns here.  

 

 

 

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